Method and apparatus for closing tuyeres



M. RYAN ET AL Filed Sept. 1, 1936 Dec. 22, 1936.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLOSING 'ruYEREs 6 14M 0 0 WE NW 5 MNWM m h w ZZW W W 7 T [Q w w flw. mp W2 W3 m Mint/i4 W @Z/ novel method and married net. 22, was

2,065, IWE'illiilUM AND AlPlPARiMNJS FUR UlLtlMN'G thorns Michael Ryan, Eradldoclr,

Application September 11,

2 Claims.

The invention relates to blast furnace tuyres and particularly to a method and means for closing or sealing damaged tuyeres to facilitate their replacement. 1

-It is an object of this invention to provide a means for sealing tuyeres which is easily, safely and rapidly performed by the ordinary workman with a minimum of inexpensive equipment.

The above and other objects will be apparent in referring to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus employed in carrying out the method of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 11-11 of Figure 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 2 indicates generally a wall of a blast furnace. The wall 2 has a tapered aperture 4 adapted to receive a hollow conical cooler 6 having a. chamber 1 through which cooling fluid is circulated by any suitable means (not shown). A tuyre 8 having an aperture axially therethrough is tapered so that it fits in the nose of the cooler 6 and protrudes out into the blast furnace. In order to cool the tuyere 8, there is provided a chamber 9 through which a cooling fluid is circulated. A blow pipe ll], connected to the tuyere 8 by an air tight contact union, supplies the tuyre 8 with a blast of air received from a lower tuyere stock l2.

The lower tuyere stock I2 is suspended from an upper tuyre stock M by hanger bolts I 6 and is prevented from swinging by a key I! in the bolt l6. As shown in Figure 1, a bolt l8 bears upon a flange on the lower tuyre stock I 2 and forces it against the blow-pipe l0 so that, the blow-pipe I ll isfirmly held between the tuyere 8 and the lower tuyere-stock l2.

The lower tuyere-stock I! has a peep hole 20 adapted to give a view through the blow-pipe l0 and the tuyere 8 into the blast furnace. The peep hole 20 has a cover 22 pivotally mounted on a bolt 24. The cover 22 is adapted to be locked in place over the peep hole 26 by a slotted bolt 26.

A clay gun 30 is provided to rapidly and safely close the axial aperture through the tuyere 8 and the cooler 6. The gun 30, which is positioned through the peep hole 26, extends to the tuyere 8 and is provided with a plunger 32 which is prevented from leaving the gun by a collar 33 at the nozzle of the gun. A handle 34 is connected to the gun 30 by rods 35 so that the gun 30 is-easily supported and handled. To limit the inward movement of the gun and to position it as desired, a collar 36 is slidably mounted on the barrel of the gun 30 and secured in the desired position by a set screw 31. The collar 36, being of a larger all and lEdlvvin 'll. Warren, lPa.

1936, Serial No. Elilflilll (lCl. 266-42) diameter than the peep hole 241i, prevents the escape of hot gases around the gun it.

The gun 3b is operated by air pressure supplied to it through pipe 38 and controlled by a valve it. A pipe cap All connects the pipe it so that by turning the valve 39 compressed air is admitted to the gun 30. When sulficient pressure is obtained in the gun 30, it forces the plunger 32 to move towards the nozzle of the gun 30 and thereby, the gun 30. The clay d2, when expelled, accumulatesin the tuyere 8 and the cooler 6. and closes the aperture therethrough.

By closing or sealing the tuyre in this manner, it is possible to remove the tuyre 8 without danger of injuring or burning the operators. In addition, the time required to remove a tuyere is considerably decreased over any methods of removing tuyeres heretofore practiced. After some of the clay t2 remains in the cooler 6 and prevents a severe outrush of gas and cinders from the furnace and, in addition, the men are far enough away from the furnace that they will not be burned. Then the opening through the cooler 25' is sealed in any desired manner such as by a reapplication of the gun 30 and a new tuyre is forced into position through the clay in the cooler 6.

It will be appreciated vention is not restricted to the specific form illustrated and described, but is actually defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The method of removing and replacing tuyeres from blast furnaces which consists in continuously forcing clay into a. tuyere and its accompanying cooler, so as to fill the tuyere, removing the blow pipe associated with the tuyere, removing the tuyre, forcing clay under pressure into 40 the cooler from which the tuyere has been removed, until the cooler is closed, and then inserting a new tuyre thru the clay in said cooler.

2. Apparatus for sealing the opening through a tuyre in blast furnaces comprising a pipe of suificient length to extend through the peep hole of a lower tuyere stock to a point adjacent said tuyre, a handle on said pipe on the portion remaining outside said end and forcing said clay into said tuyere whflre- 55 by said opening through it is sealed.

MICHAEL RYAN. EDWIN T. WARREN.

to the gun 3t, 5

continuously expel clay M from 10 blow pipe ill and the 15 pulling out the damaged tuyere 20 that the scope of the in- 0 stock, means adjustably mounted on said pipe and adapted to form a seal 

